WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for North Fork Red River near Sayre in OK, United States, built from official government gauge data.
The North Fork Red River near Sayre drains the Middle North Fork Red watershed in Oklahoma.
This gauge watches 2,464 sq mi (6,382 km2) upstream of the station, so it reflects a broad piece of the upper basin rather than just the channel at town. For people along the river, that size means local rain can move the level quickly, and a wet stretch upstream can matter even when skies are clear at the bank.
The record here runs more than 10 years. In that span, the river reached 10.52 ft (3.21 m) in May 2019 and fell to 1.03 ft (0.31 m) in October 2025. Those two marks define the range this reach has already shown, which is useful when judging how much room a crossing, pump, or bank access really has.
The seasonal pattern is modest on average but still noticeable. June is the highest month at 2.26 ft (0.69 m), while October is the lowest month at 1.14 ft (0.35 m). The typical annual swing is 13.5 in (34.2 cm). Spring is the main storm season in this part of the plains, and the river can rise on convective storms and then ease back through long dry recessions.
The monthly pattern suggests a reach that spends much of the year near low water, then lifts in early summer. For anglers, that can change depth and current speed from month to month. For cottagers and landowners, it means dock height and intake placement need to tolerate a fairly narrow but real seasonal range, plus the sharper jumps that storms can bring.
The low-water month sits close to the record low, so late-season exposure is part of the normal picture here. The high-water month is still far below the record high, which is a reminder that the biggest events are not the typical month-to-month changes.
The hero number on this page is the station’s current level compared with the median level for the same calendar day across its record. That comparison is better than raw elevation because it shows whether today is ordinary for this date, running low, or running high for the season.
This gauge is published by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
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